WASZP National Championship at Rutland Sailing Club - Overall

Sam Whaley wins the UK WASZP Nationals at Rutland © Georgie Altham / www.photoboat.co.uk

Following on from the day 1 and 2 report, the WASZP fleet at Rutland continued to knock in a full series in windy conditions for the National Championship.

For the final two days, with the wind a straight westerly, the fleet moved to the western end of the lake to harness the clearer breeze funnelling down the leg. This course area was too narrow to hit the corners, which made for particularly exciting racing as the high-speed foilers were repeatedly forced to tack or gybe and head back to the middle where boats would meet and decisions had to be made. The nip and tuck of the racing was exhilarating and tested manoeuvring skills to the max!

Arthur Fry found some form in the latter stages of the event, relishing the breeze and sniffing out the shifts. Fry won a race and consistently challenged the podium, moving up to fourth place overall and putting real pressure on the top sailors. Ross Banham remained consistent but couldn't do enough to get amongst the two Sams - Street and Whaley - who last met in the final race of the WASZP Games in 2022 where they took it to the wire, with Street edging Whaley in the final race to take the world title. This time, however, Whaley was on top. With a flurry of bullets in the final two days, Street must have had Whaley worried and a few unforced errors from Whaley could have let Street back into the fight. However, Whaley kept his cool and topped the championship off with a complete annihilation in the last race, winning by a monstrous margin to seal the UK WASZP National Championship title.

Hattie Rogers had a good final two days, battling closely with class manager Martin Evans for fifth spot. Rogers was by far the better sailor and handles the WASZP like a pro but in the end, lost out to physics, with Evans using his extra 20kgs of bodyweight to get him round the track and just pip Rogers at the end. For the third year running, Hattie Rogers claimed the title of WASZP UK Women's National Champion. Alice Senior and Chloe Collenette rounded off the podium.

Hattie Rogers wins the female title in the UK WASZP Nationals at Rutland - photo © Georgie Altham / www.photoboat.co.uk

Isle of Man sailor Peter Cope put on a stunning display for a newbie to the class, claiming 8th overall and first Junior. Lewis Clark took first youth in 9th place. The Super Master category was claimed by Dan Goodman, coming in at 14th place overall.

In the 6.9 rigs, having been separated by a single place throughout the entire regatta, Jack Woolterton just managed to edge out Alice Senior for the win. Ben Anderson, at only 13 years old, was third in the 6.9s and is definitely a name to watch for the future.

Winners in the WASZP Nationals at Rutland - photo © Georgie Altham / www.photoboat.co.uk

A huge thanks to Rutland Sailing Club for its unrivalled hospitality. The place is a favourite for the fleet and it never disappoints. A massive thanks also goes to class partner Rooster, who provided a hoard of prizes and some incredible event shirts for competitors, making the championship that bit more special.

The season for the UK WASZP fleet is far from over. The Brits will head to Quiberon, France for the European Games in two weeks. After that, there are a series of domestic events and training camps to come and a small selection of sailors is even expected to head to Sorrento, Australia for the WASZP Games in December!

Winners in the WASZP Nationals at Rutland - photo © Georgie Altham / www.photoboat.co.uk

With the recent announcement of the Athena Pathway and WASZP's key involvement, the UK fleet is set to fly! There are endless opportunities on the horizon for people of all ages to demo WASZPs and experience the thrill of WASZP racing. In two years, the WASZP Games will be heading to Weymouth for what is expected to be a record-breaking 200-boat event. There has never been a better time to join the UK swarm and be part of the biggest foiling events in the world! Contact class@waszp.com for information on how to get onboard.

Overall Results: